Threads of Fate
by crystalline talisman
Summary: It is said that the spirits tied a thread around the ankles of every person, connecting the lives of people who are destined to touch, be it a passing touch or destined lovers. Though the string tangles and stretches, it never breaks. Within the walls of Republic City, 5 people from all different walks of life find themselves brought together by the red thread of fate. AU. Makorra.
1. Chapter 1: Outside the Fortress

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra or anything pertaining to it.

**A/N:** What to say about this fic...hm. I don't particularly like abandoning projects (I _really _hate quitting), but I was really struggling with a lot of things in relation to _The Painted Lady_. I think there was a lot of potential for that story, but the way the story was being fleshed out was not the right direction and that can only be attributed to myself. However, waste not, want not, I gleaned out parts from that story and hybridized them with another story idea. I believed that the two of them could sort of fuse together to create an even better story and now we have _Threads of Fate_. That being said, I hope you enjoy this fic. No age changes (for once); rated T for language, violence, and minor sexuality (nothing new). P.S. There is no bending in this fic, either.

**Full Summary: **It is said that the spirits tied a thread around the ankles of every person, connecting the lives of people who are destined to touch. Though the string tangles and stretches, it never breaks. Within the walls of Republic City, five people - an accountant for a street gang, a construction worker, an heiress to a corporate empire, a South Pole diplomat, and the son of a queen - find themselves brought together by their red threads of fate. AU. Makorra.

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 1: Outside the Fortress

_"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart." - Marcus Aurelius_

* * *

There's an ancient legend that the spirits tied red threads around the ankles of every person in the world. The string connects people, those destined to touch in some way - be it an accidental bump on the street, a cursory statement while waiting in line, or the first encounter of two lovers. The thread will stretch, it will tangle, but no matter what, the threads shall not break; for these people are bound by the threads of fate and they are destined to meet.

* * *

The South Pole native slumped down in her chair, propping her head up on her elbow. It was another day of meetings with the General Assembly. She wondered what Tenzin was doing in the Security Council meetings. She would have thought family would have kept her in the loop, but it would seem he really did respect the sanctity of his oath.

"Delegate of the South Pole," someone said into the microphone.

Silence.

"Delegate of the South Pole," the voice said a bit firmer. "Representative Korra."

Korra snapped to attention and looked around the room. The majority of the delegates had turned to look at her and she coughed into her hand, leaning forward and speaking clearly, "Yes, Mr. Chair?"

"You have the floor," he nodded to the microphone at a podium.

Her eyes flickered over to the podium, then back to the man sitting at the long table. To his left was a middle aged woman with a typewriter and to his right was a young man, not much older than Korra herself.

"Thank you, Mr. Chair," she said quickly, moving over to the podium. "Delegates of the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, Fire Nation, and United Republic, I have been sent here in the stead of Representative Katara; as she grows older, the journey from the South Pole to Republic City has grown harder and harder on her."

"We'll keep our thoughts with Representative Katara, Madam Delegate," the Chair said into the microphone. Korra bowed her head then coughed into her hand again and took a deep breath...

* * *

"Representative Korra!" a voice called. The blue eyed young woman looked around, trying to trace the origin of the voice.

"Representative Korra! Wait up!" the voice said again.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to see a brunette with thick, curly hair framed around her face. She held her hand out and Korra took it. The young woman had a firm grasp and sparkling emerald eyes.

"My name is Asami Sato. I represent Future Industries," she explained. "I was hoping I could buy you lunch and pick your brain?"

"Oh," Korra said in surprise. "I thought you were a delegate going to scold me for my horrible speech. I'm, uh, not a great public speaker."

Asami started walking towards the exit of the building. "No, no, of course not. It's understandable, I mean. First time you speak in front of the General Assembly is always nerve-wracking."

"So it is," the delegate said. "I'm sorry, your name was... Asami, right?"

"Asami Sato, yes. I'd like to talk business but I'm hoping we can get to know each other first. You don't find many young, ambitious women like ourselves in Republic City," she elaborated, pulling out the keys to her car. "Mind if I drive?"

"By all means," Korra said. "I can't."

The woman gave a smile and got in the car, waiting for Korra to get in before starting the engine. "How are you liking Republic City?"

"Oh, it's interesting. I haven't really seen anything outside the port, my uncle's place, and the United Republic headquarters," she admitted.

"I'm originally from here," Asami told her new acquaintance. "So I of course love it, but I'm eager to know other people's opinions. Maybe one night I can take you around. The Rose District has a lot of fun things to do after hours, depending on where you go. Who's your uncle though?"

Korra smiled. "Sure, I'll take you up on that offer one day. Oh, and um, Tenzin. From the Security Council."

"Oh!" her new friend's eyes lit up. "Interesting. I like Representative Tenzin, he's very nice. Definitely one of the cooler heads when it comes to the Security Council, too."

The pair continued chatting aimlessly about Republic City and the South Pole, Asami dominating most of the conversation by answering Korra's questions about the expanding metropolis. While driving, Korra looked out the side of the car to see a few posters decorating the sides of brick buildings. Her eyes narrowed as she read the calligraphy, then she jerked her thumb at it after drawing Asami's attention.

"What is that?"

"Oh, campaign posters," the green eyed woman explained. "Elections are coming up for the new Chancellor of Republic City. This new guy Amon is coming up out of nowhere. He gives me the creeps but he's gaining a lot of popularity, especially in the lower class districts. He's really big on this equality thing, so you really never know. People have been wanting some fresh blood for the Chancellor."

"Hm," Korra mused to herself as the car rolled to a stop outside a traditional Fire Nation restaurant.

"Best lunch in all of Republic City," Asami joked, going to sit down after they were shown to a table. "So, like I said when we first met, I represent Future Industries. I think the Southern Water Tribe and Future Industries share a lot of common interests and goals."

The younger woman leaned back in her seat, tipping it back and balancing on the back legs. She nodded to let the heiress know to continue and sipped the water from the glass the server brought.

"I think the United Forces draft can be really beneficial, especially in areas that are struggling economically. With the Industrial Revolution, places around the world are struggling to keep up. Take Omashu for example. It used to be the pinnacle of a great city; now, it's impoverished and different factions are fighting to keep power. The United Forces can step in and try to maintain order in the city, plus use innovative technologies to help with hunger and food shortages," she explained.

Korra rubbed the back of her neck. "And how does that benefit the South Pole?"

"I'm glad you asked," Asami smiled. "By doing that, you'll send men into the draft who will be able to provide money to support their families and with any other additional monetary support into Future Industries, your Tribe would become a partial owner of Future Industries and based on projected stock sales, we expect to have a great return on dividends. Not to mention we can apply those to the Water Tribes as well; think about it - cheap, sustainable produce in the South Pole."

Stocks, dividends, sales, what was all this jargon? Korra knew war, she knew the South Pole, but she didn't know a thing Asami was saying. The heiress must have noticed her confusion as she laughed a bit and looked down at her hands.

"Look, I'll give you my proposal and let you talk it over with others. I don't expect you to make a decision today, but I'm hoping we can work something out. Worst case scenario, I'd love to be friends," she smiled.

"Okay," Korra replied. "So what's good to eat here?"

* * *

"Thanks for helping clean up the kitchen," Pema said after dinner.

The young woman smiled at her aunt. "No problem, Pema. Dinner was delicious, it was the least I could do. Is Tenzin in his office?"

"Yeah, he's going over paperwork and meditating."

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Meelo shrieked, running in the kitchen. "Ikki's trying to kill me!"

The pregnant woman sighed, going to walk after her son. "What happened?"

Korra laughed a bit and slipped out of the kitchen to Tenzin's office. She knocked on the door and after a moment he said, "Come in."

"Tenzin, is now a good time?"

"If it's brief, yes," he answered, going to light a small stick of incense.

She chewed her lower lip, inhaling. Tenzin was stricter than her own parents, but she supposed it was because he was more concerned since she _wasn't_ his child. He was overly concerned about anything happening to her. While endearing in its own way, it was quite annoying more often than not.

"Korra," Tenzin said again.

"I wanted to go out tonight. With my friend Asami. She said there's some fun stuff happening downtown at the Rose District and-"

He held up a hand. "Absolutely not. Your mother, father, and my own mother would hang me by my toenails from the ceiling. Why don't you go practice sparring or something? Or read those books I gave you on the stock market so you'll be able to understand what Miss Sato is proposing to you? We have joint committee meetings tomorrow."

"But Tenzin," she protested. "I've been here for days doing representative stuff. I'm seventeen, nearly eighteen, years old, I wasn't forced to stay home like this before. I'll be fine. I'm an expert at hand-to-hand combat and self-defense and-"

"You've been doing representative stuff because you _are _a representative. The South Pole doesn't need a scandal involving you getting drunk with some lobbyist or whatever other thing. I like Miss Sato, I do. She's a great friend to have. But going out is dangerous, especially in the Rose District. A lot of unsavory people hang out right around the district. And these Amon protestors are getting out of hand; some of them torched a cotton mill the other day. I'm sorry, I just can't allow it in good conscience," he said.

"But Tenzin-"

"Korra, the discussion is over. I'm sorry," he said.

She sighed and walked out, slamming the door behind her. Jinora was sitting in the hall watching as Korra stalked upstairs to her room. Tenzin acted like this place was an impenetrable fortress; like as long as she was within the four walls, nothing bad could ever happen. She was seventeen years old! In the Southern Water Tribe, she was a legal adult, and could get married if she wanted to, and even be selected to be chief. In the Water Tribe, she _did _do whatever she wanted, and no one could say a thing to stop her. Just because she was in Republic City didn't mean she was going to stop now.

"Screw this," she mumbled from her room, going to pull on a dark cloak then opening the window to her bedroom. "I'm going out."

* * *

The Rose District was smack dab in the middle of downtown based on what Asami had told Korra. There were maps placed around the city at trolly stops and Korra would occasionally glance at one to make sure she was heading in the right direction. Apparently, the Rose District was the center of nightlife in Republic City and had everything anyone could want to do and more, from the best bars to the finest restaurants and everything in between.

However, the heiress had failed to mention the surrounding districts were not as upstanding. The further she walked into the city from Tenzin's "fortress," the more run down the city became. Some buildings were dilapidated, many windows were broken or shattered, and she could see several people loitering around in tattered clothing. It was incredibly sad, for lack of a better term.

Korra put her hood up and kept walking, hoping to pass through this part of town quickly. In the future, she would know not to decline Asami's offer for a ride if and when she wanted to go out.

She heard a small noise outside a food stall and saw a young girl, reaching to grab a loaf of bread. The young woman smiled at the girl, then plucked it from the cart and handed it to the small child.

"Here you go," she said gently, frowning a bit as she realized the girl was unaccompanied. "It's awfully late, you know? Maybe I should walk you home to your mother."

"N-n-no, I'm fine," the young girl said.

"Come back here!" a man's deep voice cut through the muggy night.

Korra frowned as the little girl took off running in fear and narrowed her eyes at the man. "What are you doing? She's just a little girl."

"I saw you give her that bread from my shop! You stole it!" he shouted, pointing at Korra. "I'm calling the police to arrest you for stealing!"

"I didn't steal anything, I was just helping-"

"You're a thief and I'm pressing charges to the full extent of the law-" he barked.

The young woman held her hands up, looking around innocently as he drew the attention of surrounding pedestrians. Great. Just what Tenzin needed: a scandal. She contemplated how to diffuse the situation when she felt someone grab her wrist and drag her into the alley.

"Hey!" she cried.

"Come back here!" the man yelled, chasing after her and the person who took her.

"Where are we going?" Korra hissed, trying to break free.

The captor of her wrist turned a corner in the alley, pulling her along. He made another sharp turn, pushing through laundry strung up on lines between buildings.

"Hey!" someone called after them.

He kept running with Korra in tow, and the young woman sped up to keep up with him. He turned at an intersection and removed his scarf, placing it around a lightbulb illuminating the alleyway and unscrewing it before placing it on the ground and crunching it under his foot. His breath was heavy and labored from the sprinting, and the blue eyed woman began blinking to adjust her eyes to the dark corridor.

"Are you stupid?" he asked finally.

"I beg your pardon-" she replied, breathing heavily as well.

"You could have gone to jail, or worse, knowing Chang," he snapped irritably.

She narrowed her eyes. "Well excuse me. I don't remember asking for your help."

"Because you didn't know better. Look, it's pretty obvious you're new here, so I'll give you a tip: stay out of here. It's not safe. Someone like you, you'll be dead within a week. Worse if you're not lucky," he shrugged. "Now, I have to go."

"They can't be far!" she heard the familiar voice of Chang, and the tall man began to walk away.

"Just keep going down this alleyway and you'll get to a taxi stand. Take it back to wherever you came from," he explained.

"I don't have any money," she frowned. "I can't afford a cab. And I don't even know where I am, or how to get home."

He sighed, rolling his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and began pacing. "Well, I... hm. Alright, look, here's how it is. I'm going to offer you a one time only deal here; you help me, I help you get home. Okay?"

The shouts were getting closer. Korra could feel her blood rushing through her veins and her heart thumping in her ears. The guy grabbed her wrist, pressing himself closer to her. He smelled faintly of sweat and citrus and his amber eyes searched hers for an answer.

He could be crazy. He could be lying. He could be worse than this guy named Chang. All she knew about him was he was tall, dark, and handsome. But he had saved her - though on a second thought, that was almost self-incriminating since he turned her from a girl in a bad situation to a fugitive from a baker. Korra racked her brain, hoping she could think of something that would help her give the right answer.

"Tick tock, time's ticking. I'm not sticking around to let Chang catch up to us-" he let her go and started to walk backwards.

"Deal."

* * *

_Posted: 07/01/2012_


	2. Chapter 2: Quid Pro Quo

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 2: Quid Pro Quo

_"I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be." - Douglas Adams_

* * *

No sooner had she agreed to the deal, the young man grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the main street. He looked both ways at the exit of the alley. A large van was headed their way and he ran out to the road.

"Get ready to jump," he said.

Korra sped up, trying to keep up with his pace. After a few seconds he jumped forward and grabbed onto the top of the van, standing on the back edge. She mimicked his action, her hands slipping initially, but he grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Got it?"

"Yeah, thanks," she said.

He nodded at her, then shrugged. "Don't mention it."

"I didn't catch your name," she shouted over the roar of the engine.

"Mako," he replied, turning to see if anyone was in pursuit.

"Nice to meet you, Mako. I'm Korra," she said, gripping tightly onto the side and top of the van. "I'd shake, but I kinda need my hands right now with this bumpy road."

He gave a nod, then peeked around the edge of the van. "So where are you from, Korra?"

"Southern Water Tribe. Why?" the blue eyed woman asked.

He snorted a bit and looked at her. "Because you can't be from Republic City if you agreed to help me without making sure it's legitimate. For all you know, it was illegal."

"Is it?" her eyes grew wide with panic.

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm looking for my brother. Bolin. He's... missing."

"Missing?" Korra asked, frowning at the dark haired man.

"Yeah. I haven't seen him all day and it's just not like him. I'm worried," he admitted. "Bolin has a knack for getting into trouble, and we just can't afford that. Not with the way the economy is right now."

He seemed nice enough, and his brother was missing. It could be worth helping. She hoped that would be enough to quell the nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but her instincts still told her something was off about this man.

"Well, let's find him," she smiled. "Where are we going?"

"His usual hangout spot. He and Pabu like to go to Fire Lord Zuko's memorial statute at the Central Station."

"Fire Lord Zuko? Pabu?" Korra asked, raising her eyebrows. "Alright, I guess."

After a few minutes, Mako loosened his grip on the edge of the van and dropped down to the ground. Korra followed suit, landing roughly on the paved road, then rose and began dusting her knees off. No sooner had they hit the ground when she heard a click at her ear.

"Hands up," someone said, pressing something hard against Korra's temple.

She raised her hands and Mako looked at the figure.

"Shady Shin," he sighed, lowering his hands a bit.

"Mako. My favorite little half-breed mutt," the man said, still holding the revolver at Korra's temple. "Been looking all over for you. Should've known you'd be with a cute girl, but then again, cute girls is usually your brother's style, right? I've never seen you with a girl."

Korra's new "friend" rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever, Shin. What's with the hold up?"

"Oh, you know. You guys are in our turf, she's dressed like one of those damned Red Monsoons," the blue eyed man shrugged. "It's just business, pal."

Mako inhaled, "Well, she's with me. So back off." He pushed the gun away from Korra.

"Back off? Me, back off?" the gun turned on Mako. "You better watch yourself, sport. Getting a little too big for your britches. I think I ought to teach you some-"

"Shin, that's enough." a voice said.

Korra turned around to see two men walking up, the one in front wearing a big trenchcoat. His hands were folded in his pockets and his hair was grey. She saw a wave of panic wash over Mako's eyes when she looked at him.

"Yes sir," Shin said, putting the gun down quickly and stepping aside.

"Oh, for the spirits' sake, son, put your hands down," the older man - the leader, Korra assumed - said to Mako. His eyes turned to her and ran over her. "You, too, doll. No need for things to get unsavory - we are in public."

"Right," Mako replied dryly, putting his hands down.

The man ran a hand over his square jaw for a moment, then clapped Mako on the arm. "So what brings you to our little neck of the woods, son?"

Son? Why was Mako talking to these criminals - these people who held them up like he knew them? Korra held her hood up as a gust of wind blew by. She doubted some street gangs would recognize a delegate to the United Republic but better safe than sorry. Not to mention the trouble Tenzin - oh, _fuck_, Tenzin! He was undoubtedly going to annihilate her when she got home.

"I'm looking for Bolin. Your boy here wouldn't happen to have done anything about that-" Mako interrupted her train of thoughts and was staring accusingly at Shady Shin.

"Why you son of a-" the blue eyed man moved to lift his gun but the older man grabbed him firmly on the forearm.

"Take a break, or cool your jets, Shin. Mako's an old friend - we don't shoot our friends."

Old friends? The hell? Just who had she made a deal with? She completely went on pure instinct to decide whether or not she could trust him. He wasn't a self-made millionaire philanthropist or male version of Asami Sato by any means, but she didn't think he was the sort to run with street thugs and gangsters.

Shady Shin lowered his gun after a moment and began pacing about, grumbling under his breath.

"I might be inclined to assist you, but as is the way of life-" the older man continued.

"-nothing is free. Tit for tat, I know the drill," Mako cut in. "Where is he, Lightning Bolt Zolt?"

Lightning Bolt Zolt? What an, er, imaginative name. Korra looked at the grey haired man and watched as his eyes flickered to her for a moment. A jolt of electricity went through her body, and not in a warm, gooey way. He made her nervous. While he seemed cooler headed than Shady Shin, he was still not one to be trifled with.

Zolt put his hands in his pockets and gave a greasy smile. "Oh, you know how Bolin tends to get into gambling debts-"

"You promised me you wouldn't take any more bets from him!" Mako nearly shouted. Korra could see a vein throbbing on Zolt's temple when Mako raised his voice.

He thrusted a stubby finger in the young man's face and said, "Bolin is capable of making his own choices, son. If he makes some lousy bets on emu horse races, then I can't help it. I'm a business man. I've been nothing but polite to you and your evening entertainment over here," he motioned to Korra with a jerk of the head and she flushed, "while you've been rude. Now is that any way to treat your old friend, son? I certainly wasn't raised that way, and if you remember, you weren't either."

"I-I- I'm sorry. What can I do?" Mako backed down, his eyes to the ground. The South Pole native almost had to put her hand under her jaw to keep it from dropping to the ground. He backed down so quickly. But why?

"Now, there's the Mako I know. Well, my last accountant has been out of the office, and I find myself in need of another," Zolt shrugged. "You're familiar with this job."

Mako nodded, his eyes flickering over to Shin then the other man behind Zolt. Korra reached out to touch Mako's shoulder, but lowered her hand.

"I knew you'd be reasonable, son," he smiled and clapped Mako on the arm again. "Bolin's at the noodle shack with Two Toed. Quite a ravenous appetite that one. Now, can I hear a word of appreciation?"

The young man closed his eyes and bit his upper lip. He inhaled then said, "Thank you, Zolt, sir."

"Atta boy," Zolt smirked walking back towards his satomobile. "Don't keep this one up too late, doll! I'm expecting him in the office bright and early tomorrow."

Shady Shin shot a dirty look at the pair standing in the street before hopping in the front of Zolt's satomobile and starting the engine. He held his hand out at Mako and gave an obscene gesture with his finger before speeding down the street and leaving Korra and her new "friend" alone in the dark.

"Mako, what just-"

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go get you home," he snapped. "I'll get you a cab and pay for your fair, and we'll call it square."

She blinked for a minute, standing as she watched him walk along the pathway. "What about your bro-"

"Are you coming or not?" he asked a bit loudly. "They'll be back soon." Korra ran over to catch up, hearing the chimes of a bell tower. She looked up and saw the clock informing her it was well past midnight. Tenzin really _was _going to kill her.

* * *

Korra was leaning forward, covering her eyes with her hands as she dozed off during the General Assembly meeting the next morning. It had been nearly one-thirty when she got home, and Tenzin was waiting at the gated entrance to the Air Nomad Consulate, arms folded. He fussed about how she had been irresponsible, put herself in danger, he and Pema had been worried, she had betrayed his trust... the list went on.

When she finally went to sleep around two, it felt like her eyes had barely closed when Meelo was bouncing at the foot of her bed to wake her up for breakfast before the meeting. (Didn't their kids have school or something?)

She mustered up all the energy she had to get to the committee meeting, but today they were talking about how to combat drug trafficking in Omashu...

"Representative Korra?" she heard a voice and snapped to full attention.

"Yes, Mr. Chair! I'm ready to present," Korra answered, blinking her eyes.

She heard a laugh and looked to see Asami with a pleasant smile on her face. "The meeting is over, Korra."

"Oh, I-" she flushed, feeling embarrassed.

Asami placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You look positively exhausted. Let's go grab some coffee," she started walking to the hallway. "So I was disappointed I didn't get to see you come out last night."

"I'm sorry. I was on my way there and I just got-" her thoughts flickered to Mako for a moment, "-caught up."

"You seem like you did have a late night though. Didn't meet any cute boys by any chance?" she teased.

"Oh, uh, no. Ha," Korra fumbled with her words, blushing a bit.

Asami laughed again. "I'm just kidding, Korra. Actually, I was wondering if you took a look at my proposal."

"I'm actually reading up on the stock market thing now, to be honest. We don't have things like that in the South Pole. It's more community oriented. We've grown a lot so things like stocks and trade and stuff aren't very big in the South Pole. We have men who go out and hunt together and everyone eats together so no one goes hungry," she explained.

"Oh, that's beautiful," she smiled, taking a few coins out of her purse and ordering two cups of coffee from a cart. "I wish something like that would work here."

"Why wouldn't it?" Korra asked, taking one of the cups and sipping from it. It was scalding hot and bitter, unlike the tea she drank with Tenzin, and she wanted to spit it out immediately. Her eyes flickered to Asami who was smiling as she added some white powder and milk to the cup. _Oh._

"Well, Republic City is just too big and too polarized in social status. We've got nearly two million people living here. You can't feed, clothe, and shelter everyone without money. The South Pole has a huge population, yes, but it's not nearly this big, and your economic system is completely different." she said, taking a sip of her light brown liquid. "Anyway, if we try and set up a system like that, the rich will pull their money from the economy out of fear of 'losing' it since we're a capitalist economy. Things have been like this for so long, no one else wants to try the other way."

She scratched her chin. "I never thought if it that way before."

"Sure, I mean, try applying some of our principles to the South Pole. Manufacturing, some people having a lot while others don't? It'd be weird and not everyone would like it," Asami said.

"I guess so. How do you know so much about this?" Korra asked.

"I studied economics, actually. Law, too," she smiled. "Dad's been- hey, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" she looked at the green eyed woman and raised her eyebrows. Asami pressed her index finger to her lips and moved to the window.

A group of people were standing outside holding signs and shouting at the building.

"What is that?" Korra asked, furrowing her brow.

Asami moved to walk down the stairs towards the door. "It's a riot. I've never seen- oh, that's right! The chancellor was visiting the Security Council, _of course_. That explains it!"

"Explains what?"

"Chancellor's not popular. Remember the posters? He pulled funding on the housing restoration movement, and there's this illness that's sweeping through the lower districts, and he's not putting any money into providing healthcare. So since he's here, they're coming to protest against his reelection," Asami said.

"Save our children! Save our homes! Amon is the answer!" the rioters were crying in unison.

Korra had never seen anything like it before. It was terrifying... and sad. Small children with red splotchy rashes plaguing their skin were clinging to their parents. The crowd was rattling the wrought iron fence surrounding the building, screaming, and flinging curses at the guards and politicians walking by.

"Watch out!" Asami shouted, ducking as someone threw a bottle towards them.

As soon as it hit the ground, it ignited in a flash of blue and Korra stumbled backwards to avoid the resulting flames. She was frozen in place, watching the fire shift from blue to orange in hue as the heat rolled towards her. Her eyes stung with the heat and she heard someone shrieking but couldn't place who it was coming from. Her trance was broken when someone grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet.

"Let's get out of here!"

* * *

_Posted: 07/02/2012_

**A/N: **I have a slight anachronism since Molotov cocktails weren't seen until the 1930's but it adds dramatic ~flair~ to the story. Things are heating up in Republic City, guys. :)

**I'm Nobody's Girlfriend: **I have never heard of it, so any similarities are purely coincidental! Sorry!

**BitterSweetNitemare: **Same time frame as the original series, so around 1920's our time; I don't like to dedicate a lot of time to describing clothes unless it's for a special occasion, so you can let your head canon imagine whatever she's wearing, but for my purposes she's wearing her canon attire. ;)

**crash and burnn:** You will just have to see who the son of a queen is. 


	3. Chapter 3: Tip of the Iceberg

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 3: Tip of the Iceberg

_"Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour." - Ovid_

* * *

"Keep your heads down," the man shouted, his arms around Korra and Asami as they ran back inside. Tenzin was standing inside and as soon as he saw Korra, he ran forward and embraced her.

"I'm glad you're alright," he said. "What were you doing so close to the protestors?"

Asami bowed her head a bit. "I'm sorry, that was my fault. I just wanted to see what was going on. Curiosity, I suppose. I'm sorry I put Korra in any danger."

Tenzin shook his head. "Well, I'm glad you're alright as well. We should get you back to your car. I'm sure your father will worry once he hears about the protests on the radio."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she said, chewing on the side of her cheek thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Captain Saikhan, for saving Korra's life," Tenzin said. "Good to know there are good men like you on the police force."

"Not a problem, sir. Just doing my job," the man replied, giving a small bow to Tenzin. "The west entrance should be secure, so we'll escort you out via that exit."

Asami, Tenzin, Korra, and a few other people she recognized from committee meetings followed the small group of officers towards the west exit. There were a couple rioters outside as well, but it was noticeably less and several officers were pushing the police back to make a pathway.

"You seem shorthanded, Captain Saikhan," Tenzin said to the man.

Saikhan gave a stiff nod. "Yes, sir. Chief Beifong has been stretched thin with all the protests, and even worse now that Chancellor's been forcing us to use quarantines in the Dragon Flats, Port Sides, and Coal Heights Districts."

"Quarantines?" Korra asked, frowning.

"The sickness is spreading quickly, and seems to target children. We're trying to keep it controlled and regionalized to those areas and limit the spread, but children still seem to be getting sick. Chief Beifong is working with hospitals to try and figure out the source and if there's a cure," the captain explained, pushing through the crowd a bit aggressively towards a parked car. "You should be fine; they seem to stick to children who are younger than nine or ten."

"I see," the South Pole native said, but she was definitely not relieved. Knowing little kids were suffering made her more concerned if anything.

When they had finally breached the crowd and made it through, Saikhan opened a door. "This will escort you to your car, Miss Sato."

"There's no need; allow me to drive you and Korra home, Representative Tenzin. It's the least I can do," she offered.

"I agree with Miss Sato. I would drive you home myself, but I have to get this riot under control; you understand." Saikhan said. "Please."

Tenzin bowed a bit and got in the car after helping Korra in. "Thank you, Miss Sato. You are every bit as generous as your father."

"Please, call me Asami," she smiled and climbed in after.

"Captain Saikhan, give my regards to Lin," Tenzin shouted over the roar of the engine. Saikhan gave a small bow, then returned to the crowd and began barking out orders.

Korra sighed, watching the chaos. Most of the protestors had split up and scattered since reinforcements from the police had showed up, but she couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen. She couldn't forget the sad eyes of the child near the gate, covered in that horrible rash.

* * *

"Asami," Korra said as she and the heiress rinsed dishes in the kitchen. The brunette had agreed to stay for dinner per Tenzin's insistance for driving them home after the incident at the United Republic headquarters.

"Yeah?" she replied, drying the dishes off and interrupting her faint humming.

"Have you ever heard of Lightning Bolt Zolt?"

Asami fumbled with the plate, quickly recovering to keep it from falling and shattering against the ground. "Whe- where did you hear that name?"

"Uh, nowhere," Korra lied.

"You heard it from somewhere," she frowned.

The South Pole delegate thought for a moment. "At the... Central Station. Some people were talking, that's all. I just thought his name was weird." Technically true; that is where she and Mako had encountered said man, they had talked, and his name _was_ weird.

"Zolt's the leader of the Triple Threat Triads. It's a gang. They run a lot of downtown now, but there's a lot of turf wars going on in the lower districts. You need to be careful around Central Station. The Triple Threats tend to flock around there," the emerald eyed woman warned. "They're different, too. Most of the other gangs like the Agni Kais and stuff, they tend to target people randomly and forcibly approach them. The Triple Threats seek out your weakness and exploit it; a lot of people have gambling debts with them since Zolt runs a lot of the betting areas. Then you're stuck with him until he decides your debt's repaid. It's serious, too. He's pretty sinister about how he convinces you to pay him back."

"That's... terrible. Just preying on the weak like that," Korra frowned.

Asami nodded solemnly. "It is. I won't tell Tenzin anything because I could see him losing his cool really fast, but please be careful, Korra. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you because of some street thugs."

"Don't worry about me, I was just curious," she smiled. She had no intentions of going back to Central Station. That is,_ after_ she confronted Mako about lying to her.

* * *

Korra leaned against Fire Lord Zuko's memorial statue, flipping a coin and waiting patiently. She had again snuck out again for the third night in a row to try and stumble across Mako. So far, she had no such luck, giving up after about an hour. She doubted she would ever see him again, and was growing tired of risking inciting the wrath of Tenzin again by going behind his back to a known hang out for criminals. She pocketed the coin and moved to hail a cab to go to the library to start the research on economics she had told Tenzin she was doing.

"Hey, pretty lady," a man teased, moving his hand to push his coat aside. A revolver sat comfortably in a holster and she felt her pulse quicken. Great.

"Scram, Two Toed."

The man with a scar over his eye sneered and pointed a boney finger in another man's face. "Don't think just because you're running our books makes you the boss of me."

"Whatever, just go on already," Mako said coolly. The man gave Korra a last look, then walked off, grumbling under his breath.

"Mako-" Korra began.

"You shouldn't be here," he scolded. "It's dangerous."

"Oh, dangerous for me, but not dangerous for you, is that right?" she placed her hands on her hips. "Not a double standard or anything."

He clicked his tongue, then rubbed his forehead. "It's pretty dangerous wherever you go if you're a representative to the United Republic."

"How did you-"

"I did my research," he interrupted. "Point remains - you shouldn't be here."

Korra moved from the statue towards him, thrusting a finger in his face. "You lied to me."

"Lied? I barely know you, what could I have possibly lied about?" Mako asked.

"Does the name Triple Threat-" she began before he pressed his finger against her lips.

"Stop right there. You don't just throw names around like that so cavalier," he said. His eyes showed concern.

She grabbed his hand and moved it away. "But you work for them, and they're," a dark look from him encouraged her to lower her voice. "They're not nice people."

"It's complicated, Korra. You don't know me, or my life so don't just apply some black and white concepts to my life," Mako said defensively. "Why did you come here?"

She folded her arms. "I came to ask why you lied."

"You came from your cushy little palace down to the slums of Republic City, waited around at that statue for the past three days in a row hoping for a passing chance to see me stroll by for the express purpose of asking why I lied?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Well, when you put it like that," the blue eyed woman made a face. "The point remains you weren't forthcoming about who you were- wait. You've seen me here for the past three days? Why didn't you say anything?"

"You weren't forthcoming either, delegate of the South Pole. I just was hoping it was coincidence is all; I didn't know you were going to keep coming here," he reminded. "Look, I don't have a problem with you. Honestly, I'd like it if you were on our side and could get someone to do something about this city. It's a fucking train wreck and it would be nice if someone paid attention to it. So can we just make peace?"

"What do you mean it's a train wreck?" she frowned.

Mako waved his hand around. "Look at this place; it's overrun by thugs, and the triads are constantly having turf wars. When they're not doing that, they're out laundering money, racketeering, and taking advantage of other people's weaknesses. Plus the Chancellor is draining every bit of money from here. The quarantine is starved for money, and the children are dying from malnutrition before the disease itself. Not to mention how many orphans don't have a home, and the housing projects are collapsing."

"Wait, what? How do you know all this?" Korra asked.

"I've been in Republic City my entire life. I've grown up watching this place. It's decaying from the inside out, and the only people making any money are lawyers, bankers, and politicians. The rest of us are left to rot and fend for ourselves," he said hotly. "Not to mention the face off for Chancellor between this guy Amon, Tarrlok from the Security Council, and the current Chancellor."

A stocky man with green eyes strolled over and clapped Mako on the shoulder. "There you are; I was wondering if you talked to that cute girl yet or - oh. Hi," he gave a flashy smile.

Cute girl? Korra moved her hand in front of her face to cover her blush. "Hi," she said.

"Don't be rude, Mako, introduce me to her," he smoothed his shirt out with his hands and extended his palm.

"Korra, Bolin. Bolin, Korra," Mako waved his hand a bit, rolling his eyes a bit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Bolin winked and took her hand.

Korra gave a firm shake and smiled. "Same here. I take it you're Mako's brother."

"The one and only. Say, you look like a woman who could appreciate a delicious, fresh bowl of seaweed noodles," the man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Whaddya say? It'll be my treat."

"Oh, I haven't had seaweed noodles since I left the South Pole," she smiled.

"Bolin-" Mako protested. "We have to work tomorrow."

"You can go home; I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," Bolin frowned.

The taller brother sighed in frustration and opened his mouth to reply, but Korra spoke before he could.

"Actually, I need to go home. I just wanted to talk to Mako for a minute. But it was nice meeting you," she flipped the coin in her hand, looking at Mako one last time. "And I would like to help you, if you'd let me. Goodnight."

* * *

"Representative Korra, it's so good to meet you. Councilman Tarrlok spoke highly of you," a woman said to her the next morning. She had silver streaks in her black hair and her eyes were the color of jade.

"Good to know," the delegate shook the woman's hand. "I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"Forgive me," she apologized. "My name is Jiao. I'm the woman in charge of containing and treating the outbreak."

Korra pushed the hood of her cloak back and followed the brunette down the alleyway. "Of course. How is it coming along?"

"Not favorably," Jiao admitted. "The disease is an utter mystery to me; no matter what I do, children still get sick. We're trying to keep it contained in these three districts, but I don't know how successful we are, honestly. I don't even know how the sickness is spreading. Children keep dropping like flies. It's comforting for us adults, but personally speaking, no parent should have to bury their child."

The woman opened a door to reveal a room with children coughing and spread generously throughout the floor. The oldest child couldn't have been more than nine or ten, and most of them had rashes covering their skin. A few had peeling skin, concentrated on their face.

"Is the only symptom the rash?" Korra asked Jiao.

The green eyed woman shook her head. "No, come." She placed the back of her hand against a child's head, then tipped his head back. "Open your mouth for me and show me your tongue, Lian."

Korra crouched down and looked at his tongue. It was bright red, almost like a berry, and when she pressed her hand to his forehead, it was burning hot.

"I've never seen anything like it before," Jiao sighed. "I'll bring you some soup soon, Lian."

"Neither have I," Korra admitted, scanning the infected children with her azure eyes.

The woman stepped outside the room and covered her face with her hands. "I don't know what to do. Parents are bringing their children here, expecting a cure and I can't even make their children comfortable. And this room is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm a healer, not a miracle worker, but it makes it worse when the Chancellor is giving me no money to feed them. Everything here is rationed, and people without ill children are even sacrificing their hard earned food, money, clothes, blankets, and anything extra they have to try and help. And I just worry if it spreads to the orphanages." Jiao's eyes began watering and Korra placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"What can I do?"

"Find a cure?" the woman said, laughing a bit. "Honestly, anything you can do would be great. Even if it's just reading to the children, helping me feed them, donating anything you have. It'd be great. We're forgotten here. The Chancellor vowed to make us a priority and encourage people to donate, but he hasn't kept to his word."

"Let me handle the politicians," Korra said.

"That in itself would be a miracle," the healer gave a half smile. "We've had to rely on alternative funding methods."

"What do you mean?"

Jiao looked down, clearly embarrassed when she answered, "Lightning Bolt Zolt's been funding us."

"The mob boss?" she shrieked.

"He's not a completely bad man, he cares about children, he just- it comes at a cost," her eyes watered some.

Korra put her hands on the shoulders of the woman, attempting to comfort her. "What'd he do to you?"

"No! Not that, I just... I owe him a debt. Zolt always collects his debts," the woman fisted her apron anxiously. There was more to this story than she was willing to explain - just like Mako.

The Water Tribeswoman leaned her head down, her ponytail falling over her shoulder some. "You shouldn't have to rely on a mob boss. Someone should stand up and fight to bring this city back to what it was founded for."

"And who will do that?" a cop grumbled at her. "You?"

Korra turned to look at the figure and narrowed her eyes, "Yes. I will."

"Jiao! Come quickly," someone burst into the room wildly.

Jiao turned her attention to the young man and walked towards him, drying her eyes on her sleeves. "What's happened?"

"One of the Straights got shot. We need you to patch him up," an man with icy blue eyes said. Korra recognized him as Shady Shin.

* * *

_Posted: 07/03/2012_

**A/N: **There you are. Can anyone guess the disease based on the symptoms? ;) For some questions:_  
_

Is there bending in this fic? - Chapter 1's A/N said there was no bending, ergo no Avatar. I have a particular reason for that, but I would prefer to explain it at the end of this story rather than tell you now because it will spoil a lot about upcoming events.

How often do you update? - I will do my best to update as frequently as possible. I try to get a few chapters ahead in a story before I begin it to set up some sort of momentum for readers; in my experience, I usually need to read at least 2 or 3 chapters before I'm ready to decide if I want to stick with it or not. After this update, I can't tell you exactly when it'll be updated next. Please check tumblr to see information about updates.


	4. Chapter 4: The Game Has Changed

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 4: The Game Has Changed

_"We can't choose our fate, but we can choose others. Be careful in knowing that." - J.K. Rowling_

* * *

"Where is he?" Jiao asked, following Shin to the alleyway. Korra was at their heels, wondering what had happened. What was a 'Straight?'

"Here," Shin led them to his car where a man in a trenchcoat was hunched over, grasping his arm tightly.

"Let's move him out of the car to the house over there; I need to examine it," Jiao instructed, opening the door to the car. As the man moved out, groaning a bit in pain, his eyes flickered up and met Korra's.

"You have got to be kidding me," Korra and the man muttered simultaneously.

The emerald eyed woman looked between the pair suspiciously, then moved towards the house. "Over here!"

Shin grumbled something about his car's leather being ruined while Korra still processed who was being dragged into the house. She finally snapped to attention and followed Jiao and the tall, lean man into the house.

"You need to lie here," the healer instructed, going to wash her hands quickly. "Korra, do you have any medical experience?"

"I, uh, yes. I learned from Katara; she's the greatest healer in the entire Water Tribe. Probably the world, really," Korra said, watching as the amber eyed man clambered onto the table, still holding his arm. Red liquid oozed between his fingers, staining his jacket and the floor.

"Good," Jiao said. "Now's the time to use it. Fill this bowl with water; make sure it's hot and find some bandages and liquor." She began opening and closing drawers before finally pulling out a long pair of scissors. "What's your name, son?"

"Mako," he said, looking at his arm a bit.

Korra watched the young man and the healer in the reflection of the window. There was so much blood, so much, for just his arm. What should she do? What _could _she do?

"Korra, I need that stuff and you here, now," the woman said. "Lie back, please, Mako."

The delegate opened some cabinets after placing the bowl on the counter, searching for the other items. A bottle of vodka.

"Mako, look at me," she snapped as his eyelids began to droop. "Did the bullet go through and through?"

He grumbled some, shaking his head side to side.

"Korra, I need that stuff right now!" Jiao shouted.

The cerulean eyed woman ran to the healer's side, fumbling and dropping the bandages on the table. "I-I-I'm sorry," she said.

Jiao put her hands on both sides of Korra's face. "I know you're scared, okay? But please concentrate. I need you to hold him down when he lies back on the table."

"Hold him down?"

"His reaction will be to flinch and pull away from me when I go to dig the bullet out. I can't at the risk of hurting him, okay? Please, Korra. It's important. Can you do this?"

Her eyes darted to Mako and Jiao shook her to attention. "I can do it," she finally said.

"Mako, lie back," Jiao instructed, going to pour the vodka on the scissors. She waited on Korra to put her hands on Mako's shoulders, pressing him down to the table. "Give him a drink of this," she said, handing the young woman the bottle.

The young man took a greedy gulp of the drink, spewing a bit back up and coughing as it washed down his throat, then took another sip before handing it back to Korra.

"What do I do with this?" Korra asked.

"Remove his hand from his arm," she said. After Korra had obliged, the healer took it from the blue eyed woman's hands and splashed it on the wound. Mako thrashed and shouted in pain, cursing as Korra placed her hands on his shoulders to hold him down.

"Keep him still!" Jiao ordered, going to push the scissors into his arm. The amber eyed man groaned in pain loudly, going to flinch and pull away. "Korra!"

The woman pressed him down to the table, closing her eyes. When she had healed with Katara, it had been knicks, scratches, fevers, colds - not gunshot wounds. Not gangsters, not thugs, not whatever it was Mako did.

"I seem to keep bumping into you," Mako managed to get out through gritted teeth.

"So you do," Korra said, looking down into his amber eyes. He choked a bit as Jiao pulled the scissors out.

The healer took the cloth, going to rinse out his wound with the warm water and apologizing as he groaned in pain. She took the apron around her waist and pressed it into the wound while Korra prepared the bandages. Jiao took them from Korra's trembling hands, going to wrap them around Mako's arm when Shin called her to attention.

"Jiao, come here!"

The woman glared at him, "I'm occupied."

"The Water Tribe woman can do it; we have to talk," Shin snapped.

Jiao looked at Korra hesitantly when the delegate put a hand on the healer's shoulder and said, "I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Korra assured her, going to take the bandages from her hands.

"Now, Jiao!" Shin barked. The woman gave Korra and Mako a last look, then walked off.

The delegate shifted her weight and moved to try and bandage Mako's injured arm. His eyes looked at her wearily and he finally managed to say, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm bandaging you," she replied simply.

"I mean in the lower districts," he mumbled.

"I'm trying to do something about the illness," Korra explained, continuing to wind the white gauze around his bicep. "I could say the same for you."

He snorted. "Raid on a cash house. Just wrong place at the wrong time."

"Might be a sign from the spirits," she lamented.

"Yeah? What are they saying then?"

Korra's eyes darted to meet his. His thin lips were dry and cracked and she could see his tongue dart out to moisten them. "They're saying you need to get away from the Triple Threats."

"Life isn't that simple," he sighed, closing his eyes tightly.

"Stay awake," she pressed.

Jiao returned after a few moments, her hands trembling some as she went to the sink to rinse the crimson staining her creamy skin. "Thank you, Korra," her voice shook.

The South Pole native looked at the brunette, frowning. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course; why wouldn't it be?"

Korra wasn't convinced. "Is this what you do for the Triple Threats?"

"You don't think gangsters go to a traditional hospital just to turn around and get arrested after a turf war, do you?" Jiao asked, drying her hands on her apron. "You know this one?"

"Mako? I, uh, we've met once." she explained.

"Take him home before the police come. Shin got a tip the cops that aren't on Zolt's payroll are coming to investigate the quarantine. I can't have gunshot victims lounging around. It'll be a miracle if I get all this blood cleaned up in time."

"I can help you," Korra offered.

Jiao's lip quivered for a moment as she gripped the edge of the counter. "Go now. I'll call you when we can meet again to discuss the children."

"But-"

"Korra, get out of here before you and this kid both get arrested. Now!"

The woman slapped Mako's cheek lightly to bring him back to attention. "We have to go Mako. Where do you live?" She rolled up the sleeves of his coat to mask the bloodstains.

"Rose District."

* * *

"So what happened?" Korra asked as they trudged from the quarantined zone towards the Central Station.

He snorted. "Don't worry about it."

"You were shot, Mako. I'm gonna worry about it and you've gotta deal with it," she retorted.

Mako sighed in defeat. "It was just a turf war. Occasionally the gangs like to go around and try to reassert their dominance. I was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And what were you doing in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Korra pressed.

"If you must know, I was getting some finances in order for Zolt's legitimate operations," the young man said hotly.

"Gangsters have legitimate operations?" she made a face.

He sighed a bit in aggravation. "Forget it, it'll take too long to explain."

"Tell me," she said. It wasn't a request, it wasn't a question, it was a demand.

"Zolt has to have legitimate operations to explain his 'money.' One of them is a Fire Nation restaurant. He lets people place illegal wagers there and it's a speakeasy as well," Mako explained. "For alcohol. Alcohol isn't allowed in the city anymore."

Her lips made an 'O' in confirmation as she processed the information. "So you're basically an accountant?"

"I suppose you could say that," he said after a moment.

"But why?"

He snorted. "You were there. We owe him a debt. Bolin's a construction worker, too, which means he won't even hesitate to break his arm or leg and in this economy, you get hurt, you're out of a job."

"But why do you back down around Zolt like a little kid? You didn't even try to find another way," Korra frowned.

"It's complicated. I just did things I had to do when I was younger, and now I'm doing things I have to do. Let's leave it at that. Turn right up here at the intersection," he stated firmly.

"Brother, sister!" a man ran up to them, smiling at them eagerly. "Amon has come to rally for equality in our great city! Come! Listen to his protest!" He turned to go left at the intersection to an expanding crowd.

"Korra-" Mako began, seeing her eyes look immediately towards the group of people.

She gave his good arm a sharp tug and began marching towards the crowd of people. "I need to see what this Amon business is all about."

"I don't think it's a good idea; what if someone recognizes you?" he tried to pull his arm free of her death grip.

"We're going up to this protest and you gotta deal with it," she snapped at him, pushing through the audience.

"Brothers and sisters," a man with an impressive voice swept across the crowd. The people fell silent at once, lowering their homemade signs. Korra looked up to see this masked man on a wooden temporary stage, banners rippling in the wind with the character for 'Equal' stitched onto them.

"I stand before you today - not as a leader, but as your brother, as your sister!" he stated.

The crowd went wild, shouting and praising him. Mako whispered in Korra's ear, "That's Amon."

The man in a mask waited for the shouts to die down patiently. "For too long, we have stood by and watched our fair city be abused and neglected by the rich, the wealthy, and the politicians! And when they are done taking our labor, taking our hard earned money, and taking the life from us, they let these street thugs run through the streets, picking off the leftover scraps like vultures."

Another roar came from the crowd and Korra looked around. Did so many people really feel this way? She remembered the protestors at the United Republic headquarters, throwing bottles of fire at them, hurling curses and insults. As the delegate looked around, she saw the people cheering in support of Amon; they weren't rich, they were poor. Most of them wore old clothing, torn in places, and some looked like they hadn't been eating as much.

"The greatest criminal of all is the Chancellor and United Republic! They sit on their false thrones made of lies, taking our money to promote this idea of fairness and equality; how is it fair if they've a meal on their table every night? How is it fair if their children aren't dying of this horrible illness while we are forced into quarantine. They do not quarantine our children to protect the surrounding districts - they quarantine our children to protect their homes and children. The Chancellor promises money to help feed, clothe, and treat these children, yet where is it? Why is it people must make deals with street gangs to provide simple rations and a comfortable place for these children to rest? Make no mistake, crime in the lower districts is only a symptom of the real criminal, the real impurity that plagues Republic City - the United Republic." Amon told the audience.

"Korra, let's go," Mako pulled her back with his good arm, trying to weave through the crowd. It must have at least doubled in size because there were so many people there.

"And let it be known, I am here to cleanse that impurity," the masked man said over the cheers from the people when Korra and Mako had finally broken through.

A group of cops began lowering themselves down from airships above the group of people. Korra looked to the stage to see Amon had the other men on the stage with him had disappeared. The people began running and scattering like bugs with a light targeted on them.

The pair tried to follow suit when a man put his arms in a bear hug around her, trapping her arms to her sides and pulling her towards the back of a van with bars on the window. The young woman thrusted her head backwards, colliding with his face then took his moment of shock as an open window to break free. He reached out, grabbing her wrist and in a swift motion, Korra grabbed a pressure point on his shoulder, causing him to shriek in pain and release her. He fell to the ground on his knees when she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck, immediately slumping forward onto the dusty ground.

"Korra!" Mako shouted at her, her vision blurry.

"By order of the Chancellor of Republic City, you are under arrest for illegal protesting."

* * *

_Posted: 07/05/2012_

**A/N: **This chapter is a bit shorter, but it had a lot of stuff going on. And now we have met Amon/the Equalists. ;) Since everyone keeps asking about why I removed bending, I'll explain it since Amon has now been introduced formally.

I loved LoK, and I have no delusions of grandeur thinking I'm a better storywriter than Bryke, however, one thing I thought was frustrating was that there were _so _many problems going on with the city. Poverty/homelessness, the gangs, etc, but the story never focused on them. I removed bending from the equation because I want this story to focus on those issues. It was so easy for the bending to overshadow these problems, but without bending, it forces me as a writer to actually address the issues facing a corrupt city.

**Miss Mercurial: **Ugh, I really hated to get rid of TPL, but I just felt like I was giving 75% on that story, and I'd rather give 100% on something. :( But thank you! Maybe after this story, I can attempt it again with better writing and a different twist. :) Since people keep asking why I've removed bending, I explained it in the author's note above. I hope that clarifies my thoughts.

**crash and burnn: **All excellent questions - all questions that will be answered in due time if not answered in this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5: The Offer

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 5: The Offer

_"Mr. Asher, you can resist who you are for only so long. Finally, you just decide to go with fate." - Christopher Moore_

* * *

Korra hadn't seen Mako since they had been split up at the riot. Her hands were restrained behind her in a pair of rather uncomfortable handcuffs and the back of her neck was throbbing where she presumed someone had hit her with a blunt object. The cell she was was made of concrete walls with only a small barred window at the top for daylight; preventing her from interacting with the outside world was a heavy steel door.

"Let's go," an officer said as the door swung open, grabbing her by her upper arm roughly and dragging her into the hallway.

"Watch it," she threatened.

He ignored her and dragged her down the dimly lit hallway towards another heavy door. "Yo, Song, open up Interrogation Two for me," the officer said to a short young man. Song took a ring of keys from his pocket and opened the door, holding it open for the officer and his prisoner.

"Take a seat," the guy barked, forcing her into a chair.

She jerked away from his arm. "Bite me."

"Maybe I'll just throw you back in your cell and let you stay overnight - how does that sound, you disrespectful, ungrateful little-"

"Officer Liu, that'll do," a woman's voice cut in. It was smooth and even, and Korra looked up to meet a pair of stern green eyes.

"Chief," the man stood at attention, saluting her. "I was just-"

"Manhandling a suspect. She still has rights according to the law, so did you forget, or was it benign neglect?"

The man looked down. "Apologies, ma'am."

"You're dismissed," the chief said to the officer, going to stand on the opposite end of the table from the blue eyed woman. The officer bowed his head briefly, closing the door behind him as he left.

Korra surveyed the woman. She was tall, almost as tall as a man, and slender with greying hair and a petite nose. Even though Korra suspected her to be in her late forties to early fifties, the woman was still beautiful in her own right but her eyes and the faint scars on the right side of her face gave her a hardened look.

"So," she said, putting her hands on the corners of the table leaning in imposingly towards Korra. "Might I inquire as to why a delegate of the United Republic decided to attend an illegal rally for Amon?"

"Last time I checked, we were allowed freedom of speech." the teenager replied. Not that she supported these protestors who had thrown a flaming bottle of _illegal_ booze at her, but she wasn't a fan of being in jail either.

The police chief pointed a slender finger near Korra's face. "Don't give me that freedom of speech bullshit. You teenagers think you're so cute and cocky, throwing around rights like that and you don't have a damned clue what they mean. Not to mention I would have simply let you off with a warning but since you decided to assault one of my officers-"

"Assault!" Korra shrieked. "He was grabbing me like a wild komodo rhino! What was I supposed to do? Let him grope where he pleased?"

"You could have not been at the rally for starters," the jade eyed woman said, leaning back a bit.

"And don't I have diplomatic immunity? I'm from the South Pole as a delegate to the United Republic's peace confere-"

"You do. No formal charges are being pressed, but we're now waiting for someone to pick you up. Your 'guardian' should be here any moment."

Korra gulped. "My guardian?"_ Motherfu-_

"If you don't let me in to see her right now I will take each and everyone of you to court and have charges pressed to the full extent of the law!"

The chief walked to the door, pulling it open. "Nice to see you, too, _Representative_ Tenzin. I see you still have your mother's temper."

"And you're looking lovely as ever, Lin," he said dryly, going over to Korra.

"Wait. Lin Beifong? As in daughter of Toph Beifong? Of course, I should have put it together. You know my, well, she's like my aunt Katara."

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know who she is."

"Then why-"

Lin waved her hand. "Tenzin, just take her and go. I better not ever see you again in here, Representative Korra."

"Korra, come along," he grabbed her by the arm and gave a firm tug to the young woman.

"But-" the young woman turned to see the chief of police give her one last stern look before the blue eyed woman rounded the corner of the hallway.

"Not another word until we're in the satomobile."

When they had collected her belongings and exited the police headquarters, Tenzin wasted no time in getting Korra to the satomobile - no doubt to give her the verbal lashing of a lifetime. Korra took the few minutes to prepare herself internally.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, hugging her as soon as they reached the satomobile.

She blinked in surprise. "What? I thought - _what_?"

"You thought I was going to yell," Tenzin finished. "Well, I am later. But I heard that some of the Triple Threats were spotted near the quarantine zone so I was worried something had happened to you."

Mako! She had completely forgotten about him in the past few minutes. Was he okay? Was he going to go to jail? He did have a gunshot wound. Maybe he would lie. Oh spirits, please let him lie. Maybe she could use her position to get him released, and Tenzin was a member of the Security Council - it could work.

"But I cannot believe you were so stupid. You can't just go wandering off without telling people things, Korra. Republic City is different from the South Pole. There are a lot of nefarious characters out there and your aunt and I were worried sick. You have got to be more responsible. You can't just keep running into scenarios without thinking about what the possible consequences are."

Korra looked down. "I know but-"

"I respect your desire to understand the lifestyles of those living in the lower districts and trying to understand what's going on. It's what makes you a great leader, Korra, but a great leader is also patient and talks to his or her family and friends. Some of those protestors are very desperate and had someone found out you were a delegate, who knows what could have happened to you! When will you learn?"

"You can't just treat me like a child! I'm an adult in the South Pole."

"An adult with responsibility," he reminded her. "You are a delegate to the United Republic. You have a duty to your people back home. For the next few days, I don't want you leaving the house except to go to assembly meetings and to come back. No socializing, no visiting the quarantine until I decide to give you another chance."

She huffed. "But Tenzin! You can't just do that!"

"It's already done. Be happy I didn't ship you off back home," he warned. "Now, let's go home."

* * *

The next morning, the South Pole delegate closed the door to Tenzin's office and dialed the Sato household.

"Woah, Korra, slow down," Asami's cool voice came over the phone. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is not okay, Asami. Those kids, they're dying and no one is giving them food, or clothes, or blankets, or water, or anything in the quarantine!"

Silence.

"Are you there?"

"I'm here," Asami assured. "I'm just thinking what we can do."

"We have to do something soon. Is there any kind of medical division in Future Industries? Maybe they can research a cure or treatment or something," the young woman suggested.

Asami clicked her tongue. "I'll talk to Dad about it. I'm not making any promises because stocks are down, but we'll see what we can do. At the least, I'll try to bring some food and supplies to the children later today. They deserve at least a warm place to rest."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Korra said.

"But, Korra, this is a temporary fix. You have got to change the momentum of the city, which means you need to support someone new for Chancellor because the one we have isn't working."

"I know but-"

"But nothing, Korra. I'm going to do what I can on my end, but you're a delegate to the United Republic. You have a lot more influence than you realize, and you need to use it."

She nodded to herself, then said, "Yeah, you're right. I told Jiao I would take care of the politicians."

"Good. I'll see you tonight for dinner?"

"Maybe, I'm kind of on house arrest after I got legitimately arrested yesterday so-"

"Wait, you got arrested?" Asami cried. "Korra, what the hell were you doing!"

Pema slid open the door and said, "Korra, there's a young man to see you. He's really cute," she teased. "But don't tell your uncle I let him in."

"Cute boy? Is it that one that drives you crazy?" Asami had a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Gotta go," Korra said quickly and hung up the phone.

How did Mako find out where she lived? The young woman stood up and smoothed her shirt out. Her right arm had a slight discoloration from a bruise, but he did get shot, so she doubted he would pay much mind to it. At least, she hoped he wouldn't.

She stepped into the living room to see a man with dark hair facing away from her.

"Mako?" she asked.

The young man turned around and she could see it was definitely _not_ Mako. "Try again," he teased.

"You're his brother... Bolin, was it?"

"Ding ding ding," he smirked. "Oh, shit, what happened to your arm?"

Korra moved her hand instinctively to cover it. "Nothing. I... is there something I can help you with?"

"My brother's scarf. He can't find it. They took it from him when he got arrested and he said you might have it. I got the day off so I told him I'd come by and grab it," he explained.

"How did Mako know where I lived?" she made a face.

His green eyes lit up. "Oh, no, I figured it out actually," he smiled. He had a nice smile; it was warm and friendly. Every time Mako had smiled - come to think of it, had she ever seen Mako smile?

"You figured it out?" she motioned with her hand for the young man to follow her to her bedroom.

"Well, I've met a lot of people doing construction on housing. I knew you were a delegate to the United Republic because Mako said so, so I asked my friend where I might be able to find you. I asked the nice lady at the United Republic offices and she told me."

Korra grabbed the box from her table and flipped open the lid. Truthfully she hadn't gone through it since she collected it because she hadn't found a need to look through her things. "She told you, just like that?"

"I have a way with women, what can I say?" Bolin teased.

"I'll bet if she just forked it over. Every time I talk to that woman she gives me a bad case of the lectures," Korra groaned, pushing aside her cloak and picking up the length of red. She grew hyperaware of the masculine scent of musk, sandalwood, and amber coming from the crimson scarf. It smelled wonderful; it smelled like Mako.

"Well, uh, here it is." she handed it over to him gingerly.

He took it and placed it in his bad. "Thanks, Mako'll appreciate it."

"Good. Uh, anything else?"

"Nope. You know, my offer still stands," Bolin smiled again.

She turned her head to the side some. "Offer?"

"To go get seaweed noodles?"

"Oh! Well, I'm a little bit indisposed here, if you get what I mean," she put her wrists together as if they were handcuffed. "Getting arrested is kind of a hot button issue."

He laughed; it was warm and hearty. How could it be such different men could be brothers?

"Understandably so, Miss Korra," he winked, going to the desk and grabbing her pen. "Well, if you ever change your mind, here's my number and address. It's Mako's too, if you want to talk to him. I think he likes you."

"Likes me?" her cheeks turned pink.

The young man smiled. "Yeah, he says you're an okay friend. Except for the getting him arrested part, but yeah. Decent friend."

"Decent friend?" she repeated.

"That's Mako code for, 'good friend.' He's not so good with words. I'll see myself out. Thanks for the scarf. I hope to hear from you soon," he smiled, going to hug her. The young woman hugged him back, a bit surprised at the display of affection.

Had she not known any better - she would have assumed they were more unrelated than anyone she had ever met.

* * *

"Korra, we're going to the market. Would you like to come?" Pema asked a few days later.

"Oh, uh, sure." she said, a bit surprised Pema was going to let her out after the other day.

The South Pole delegate almost questioned her aunt's judgment but decided against it. She could use some fresh air after being trapped between the house and assembly meetings for two or three days. She rose from the table and pulled her boots on, watching as Jinora helped Meelo put his shoes on.

"I could use the help with carrying things honestly," Pema admitted, rubbing her stomach some.

Korra nodded. "Sure."

Meelo and Ikki put on their shoes and followed the teenager as she walked to the market. Meelo chatted aimlessly about his endless infatuation with Asami and Ikki talked about how she was learning to write new characters in school. The market was crowded and Pema quickly implemented the hand-holding system.

"Korra, can you go down to the shop at the other corner and get me some ginger root? It needs to be firm, but not dry, and about this long," she held her two index fingers a few inches apart.

"Okay."

"I'll go with her!" Ikki volunteered, following the teenager to the other end of the market.

Korra walked up to the counter and asked the woman, "Excuse me, ma'am, where is the ginger root?"

The woman pointed towards the other end of the shop. Of course.

"C'mon, stick with me," Korra instructed, walking towards the other end of the shop.

"Representative Korra," a calm voice cut through the air.

She grew tense, and turned to see a figure in the shadows with a hood up.

"Amon," she said.

"So you do remember me." She imagined if he wasn't wearing a mask, she could have seen him. "I'm glad to hear it. I could use your help."

"Korra, who is that man?" Ikki asked, making a face.

"Go find your mother," Korra instructed.

"But-"

"Now," the older instructed.

Amon held his hands up innocently. "I mean you no harm, madam delegate."

"I know, but I think this conversation is between you and I, not the children."

"Wise," he commented, stepping forward a bit. "Did you enjoy my rally?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"You're not a very good liar," he criticized. "No matter; we both know you were there, and you got arrested for it. Regardless of your reasons for originally attending, I think you and I both see there are things that need to change with this city. It's like a dead animal, rotting from the inside out. We both want the same things, I believe."

"And what are those?" she asked. He was remaining polite and had yet to threaten her, but she found herself more distrustful of him than she did with Zolt. Perhaps that stemmed from being unable to see his real face.

"The politicians are toxic. They poison the city, and allow people like your boyfriend's acquaintance to plague this city. Zolt is only a symptom of the true problem. I believe an alliance between the two of us could work. Support my campaign and I will ensure your boyfriend, his brother, your dear friend Asami, and your uncle and his family are well taken care of when I come to be Chancellor of Republic City."

Well taken care of? "What's... is... there's a catch, isn't there?"

"I need your support. Worry not, it's nothing illegal or deeply sinister. I just need your assistance in supporting my attempts to run for office. Think of the children dying in the quarantine. Together, we can help them."

The woman bit her lip thoughtfully. This seemed... random. And how did Amon know she was at the rally? How did he know she was friends with Asami, or about Mako and Bolin?

"I'll be in touch, madam delegate. Think carefully about what I'm proposing, but remember this: if you're not with me, by definition, you are against me," Amon warned before disappearing into the shadows.

For a man who had only promised good things, he terrified her more than anyone ever had.

* * *

_Posted: 07/09/2012_

**A/N: **This chapter was really hard to write. I had a severe case of writer's block. So far it's been mostly Korra with a little bit of Mako and Asami and just a pinch of Bolin, but I promise the other characters are going to come into play here a lot more. And we still have a fifth character to come to play. ;)


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